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Death of a Salesman (2020)
Students read Arthur Miller's classic play Death of a Salesman, which offers a scathing critique of the American Dream and of the competitive, materialistic American culture of the 1940s.
ELA
Unit 10
7th Grade
This unit has been archived. To view our updated curriculum, visit our 7th Grade English course.
Unit Summary
Death of a Salesman has been archived. You are welcome to use the resources here, but there are no Fishtank Plus features offered within this unit. If you’d like to implement one of our complete Fishtank Plus units, including all in-lesson and unit-specific Plus features, check out 7th Grade ELA.
Students will read their first play of seventh grade, Death of a Salesman, a tragedy about the differences between the Loman Family’s dreams and the reality of their lives. Willy Loman stars as the protagonist—an ordinary white middle-class man who tries to hide his averageness behind his hallucinations as he pretends to be a “success.” The play is a critique of the American Dream and of the materialistic American culture of the 1940s. This unit is a continuation of the seventh-grade analysis of what it means to succeed in the United States.
Students will practice skills and habits including vocabulary/idiom building, annotating text, collaborative conversation, and evidence-based writing. As students read, discuss, and write about the texts, they will also examine how an author makes deliberate decisions to control the tension between the characters, the shifts between past and present times, and the ultimate downfall of the protagonist.
Texts and Materials
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Core Materials
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Book: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (Penguin Books, 1976)
Supporting Materials
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Website: Arthur Miller Biography (PBS)
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Book: Arabian Nights (Classic Starts) (Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2008) (Chapter 9)
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Video: “Moses Parts the Sea - The Ten Commandments” by Movieclips (YouTube)
Assessment
The following assessments accompany Unit 10.
Content Assessment
The Content Assessment tests students' ability to read a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer multiple choice and short answer questions. Additionally, a longer writing prompt pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards.
Unit Prep
Intellectual Prep
- Read and annotate the Unit Summary and Essential Questions.
- Read and annotate the text with essential questions in mind.
- Take unit assessment. Focus on questions 2 (tragic flaw), 3, 8 (points of view), 4, 9 (symbolism), and 5, 10 (theme). Write the mastery response to essay question.
- Lessons that align directly with the assessment:
- Lessons 3, 4, 11 (symbolism)
- Lessons 8 (theme)
- Lessons 2, 5 (point of view)
- Lessons 13, 14 (tragic flaw)
- Lessons 5, 7, 13, 14 (link to essential questions)
- Grade the Target Tasks of Lessons 3, 5, 8, 14.
Essential Questions
- Has Willy Loman achieved the American Dream? If so, at what cost?
- Does Death of a Salesman attack the American Dream? If so, how?
- Can Willy be called a tragic figure in the same way that this term applies to various characters in Greek drama (Oedipus)?
Writing Focus Areas
In this third unit of the year, students will focus on organizing their work when comparing two texts. They will continue to dissect the prompt to ensure they fully understand the task at hand. Then, they will concentrate on the writing process of brainstorming, outlining, and drafting for on-demand prompts (test-taking style prompts). Students will not be given graphic organizers but will be instructed on creating their own outlines from a blank piece of paper. They will ultimately be assessed on whether they addressed the prompt itself, made a structured and accurate claim, provided strong reasons backed by relevant evidence, and grouped information into meaningful paragraphs.
Spiraling Literary Analysis Writing Focus Area
Focus Correction Area #1 - Overall
- Addressed the prompt
- Made a structured and accurate claim
- Provided one or two pieces of evidence for each reason (can be paraphrased or a direct quote)
- Each part of the text built the argument and led to a conclusion without redundancies
Focus Correction Area #2 - Elaboration
- Supported their claim by giving at least three accurate reasons/examples and information to support their reasons that were parallel and did not overlap
- Discussed and explained the way that the evidence went with the claim in at least two sentences.
- Put reasons in an order that he thought would be most convincing
- Provided context for evidence/introduced quotations.
Focus Correction Area #3 - Organization
- Grouped information and related ideas into paragraphs.
- Put the parts of their writing in the order that most suited their purpose and helped prove their reasons and claim
- The order of the sections and the internal structure of each section made sense
- Used topic sentences, transitions, and formatting (where appropriate) to clarify the structure of the piece and to highlight their main points.
Vocabulary
Literary Terms
dialogue, apron, stage directions, act, scene, cast of characters, playwright, thespian, tragic hero, tragic flaw, foreshadowing, monologue, allusion
Roots and Affixes
im, in, il = not
sub = under
re = again
mor = death
Text-based
trepidation (2), iron repression (2), vital (4) (ROOT ALERT “vit-“ life; vitamin, vitality, vital signs), crestfallen (5), reminisce (6), caliber (49–50), spite (88), ominous(ly) (97), in vain (111) self-deception, coping mechanism
Tone words: ornery, irritable (review from When I Was Puerto Rican), delusional
Idioms and Cultural References
“To make mountains out of molehills” (p.7); “Open sesame” (p. 19 Ali Baba); “The world is an oyster” (p. 28); “To take blood from a stone” (p. 61); “To blow full of hot air” (p. 105); “You’re a dime a dozen” (p. 105)
Supporting All Students
In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the guidance provided under 'Notes for Teachers' below in addition to the Unit Launch to determine which supports students will need at the unit and lesson level. To learn more, visit the Supporting All Students Teacher Tool.
Content Knowledge and Connections
- The American Dream
- Capitalism
- Tragic Heroism
- Oedipus
Lesson Map
Common Core Standards
Core Standards
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